WHILE Selangor works to control the invasive ikan bandaraya population, one non-governmental organisation is demonstrating its potential as a food source.
Mohamad Haziq A. Rahman said the armoured catfish could be prepared and eaten just like many other types of fish.
However, the founder of Skuad Pemburu Ikan Asing, which works closely with the state in the catch-and-remove operation, cautioned that the source of the fish was important.
He said river fish might be contaminated with heavy metals which could pose health risks if consumed regularly.
“Therefore, before we consider cooking any of the catch, we send a water sample to Universiti Selangor (Unisel) to check for contamination levels.
“If Unisel confirms that the fish from a particular river is safe for consumption, we then remove the head and stomach contents − as this is where most of the heavy metals are concentrated − before preparing the fish.
“We have cooked a variety of dishes, including satay, asam pedas and buttermilk.
“Those who have tried these dishes said the taste and texture were similar to chicken,” he said.
Haziq said the cooking and serving of ikan bandaraya was carried out solely for awareness purposes during the operations, to show the public that the fish could also be used for human consumption.
However, he discouraged anyone from eating ikan bandaraya if they were not sure where it was sourced from.
